Dwp recorded calls

pyramid25

Can anyone please tell me how long the DWP keep recorded calls,I have been told previously it is 14 months,and others say indefinitely,and if they cannot find any records of calls I have been told the onus is on them to prove you did not make a call and not upon yourself to prove it,and they must accept your version of events .

rogerblack

I am unsure if they are recorded.
Otherwise - they will go with the data retention policy.
Data is only kept as long as there is believed there may be a need for it.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/retention_of_data?unfold=1

Guidelines are only guidelines however.

As to 'onus is on them' - well - no.

Speaking in general, all decisions on benefits matters have to be on the basis that something is more likely than not.

If they have no records about something, they can't simply assume the claimant is always correct.

For example, I might claim that I wasn't paid SDA properly in 2008 - when they have no records of the actual payments.

The onus may be on them - however given the standard of proof required - they will often fall back on 'because in the vast majority of cases we did this without error' that they did it in your case without error.

You can then challenge this decision (if in time) at a tribunal.

AsknAnswer2

The DWP do not record all calls. They record some for training purposes mainly but not all calls are recorded. Because they can't always pre-empt which calls will be recorded they do have to give a warning that a call 'may' be recorded but this does not necessarily mean that it is being recorded. They may however record in your computerised record that a call was made and a general description of the matter discussed.

HMRC tax credits on the other hand, do record all of their calls.

The onus of proof in any given situation rests with the person making the claim. If you claim you made a call then the burden of proof rests with you. It is near impossible to prove that something didn't happen, but where something did happen there is usually evidence. If you made a call and they deny knowledge of it, can you not request an itemised bill from your phone provider to show that a call was made on x date? You could also make a subject access request to the DWP over the dates the call was made, requesting copies of computerised records, clerical records and recordings of any telephone calls. They have to produce this within 40 days and although there is a statutory charge of £10, the DWP usually waive this fee.

helping_hand2014

can you not record all future calls to them but tell them your recoding it

lld01

In the part of DWP I worked in, every single call, inbound and outbound, was automatically recorded. Recordings went back a number of years, tracing the calls was not always straightforward though.